News

On June 25 at 6 p.m. the 'Wan Hai 503' remained under tow approximately 88 nautical miles off the Indian coastline, positioned at Lat. 09°16.73'N Long. 074°49.96' E, proceeding west-southwest at speeds between 1.2 to 3 knots with heavy rolling and pitching due to persistent rough sea conditions. Approximately 90 miles have been covered so far, with the vessel expected to exit the Indian EEZ by late June 27th or early on June 28 weather permitting. The fire situation in cargo hold no. 4 remained critical. Structural failures, including a partial hatch collapse and container stack collapse in the forward section, have increased ventilation, allowing strong winds to exacerbate the smouldering fire, particularly in containers storing plastic resin. Thermal imaging indicatedhotspots at frames 83, 93, and 103 with temperatures peaking at 228°C. Dense black smoke continued to emit from hold no. 4, with boundary cooling being conducted continuously by tugs 'Saksham' and 'Water Lily' from both port and starboard sides. Despite multiple boarding attempts, salvage teams have been unable to safely access the vessel due to deteriorating weather and safety risks, including unknown contaminants in the flooded engine room. Searches for the missing crew member remained a top priority during each boarding attempt, though no remains have been found to date. The port midship draft markings remained obscured due to heat-related paint damage, not submersion. Stability remained a concern due to flooding in the engine room and limited dewatering capability at present. Salvage resources currently deployed included the 'Offshore Warrior', 'Saksham', 'Water Lily' and 'Saroja Blessing', carrying additional equipment and independent pumps. Pyrocool firefighting material was en route aboard the 'Virgo', scheduled to arrive by June 29. A complete suite of salvage equipment, including independent pumps with 800-900 cubic meters per hour capacity, power packs, compressors, hot-tapping units, de-fuelling gear, and fast-response firefighting kits were staged aboard the tugs. Salvage divers with contaminated water dive suits were present on site, but have not been cleared to enter the flooded engine room pending water quality testing to assess chemical hazards from compromised container cargo. The VDR remains secured aboard the 'Offshore Warrior', with transfer to the 'Water Lily' planned at the earliest opportunity for subsequent delivery to MMD Kochi. CO₂ reserves were confirmed available, with 198 bottles on site. However, CO₂ deployment in cargo hold no. 4 remained unfeasible due to structural breaches. The salvors planned to deploy CO₂ in the holds 5 and 6 once the structural integrity checks have been completed. The WAN HAI Lines continued to pursue a Port of Refuge approval, with agency coordination and harbour master engagement underway. Crew members injured during the initial incident remain stable, with ICU cases showing signs of recovery. The vessel remains exposed to compounded risks from ongoing fires, uncertain hazardous cargo, and rough weather conditions hampering onboard operations. The presence of over 280 containers with incomplete manifest data continued to pose a significant hazard to firefighting teams, though updated information has now been received from WAN HAI Lines and is under ITOPF review for hazardous material classification. Firefighting teams were facing substantial challenges due to open ventilation in hold no. 4, which continueds to feed the smouldering fires despite boundary cooling efforts. Inaccessible sections and unknown cargo content restricted direct firefighting options. Salvors have confirmed that excessive water application remained constrained to avoid worsening the engine room flooding, which currently contributed to the compromised vessel stability. Towing operations towards international waters were a critical priority to mitigate coastal environmental risks. The Directorate has directed T&T Salvage to maintain course and speed to expedite the vessel's exit from the EEZ. A replacement of the 'Boka Winger' remained pending following the owner's refusal to extend deployment beyond contractual obligations. The salvors were coordinating alternative tug resources from Sri Lanka and anticipated the 'Atlantis Virgo's arrival to supplement the towing and firefighting operation. Weather conditions were expected to improve temporarily, providing a narrow window for critical actions. The Directorate has instructed that, weather permitting, salvage teams must prioritise boarding to commence dewatering of the engine room, conduct necessary fire suppression within accessible areas, and assess hull and pipeline integrity before CO₂ deployment. The Directorate also emphasised that salvors must test the engine room water for contamination prior to diving operations to safeguard personnel. Should conditions permit, divers may seal internal pipe leaks to isolate the engine room and enable effective dewatering. Immediate focus remains on stabilising the vessel, maintaining fire control, and securing a safe tow beyond Indian jurisdiction. Coordination with all stakeholders were continued, with clear directives issued to WAN HAI Lines to provide comprehensive container manifest data and assist with expediting all approvals for Port of Refuge access. T&T Salvage has been instructed to finalise plans for ETV replacement, initiate hard wire towline installation when feasible, and prepare contingency measures for all salvage operations. The Directorate reiterates that environmental protection, crew safety, and vessel stabilisation remain paramount, with all available resources to be deployed toward achieving these objectives in the shortest possible timeframe.

Scientists working aboard the 'Atlante' have located the first of what are believed to be hundreds of thousands of barrels with nuclear waste on the seabed. Little is known about their condition. They have already discovered more than 1000 barrels in the Northeast Atlantic. The research team of the French research organization CNRS. set off from Brest on June 16, 2025., to a search area in the Western European Basin of the Atlantic. They plan to spend four weeks searching for nuclear waste barrels and assessing their impact on the local ecosystem. The autonomous diving robot Ulyx is equipped with a camera for 3D images and a sonar system for locating objects using sound and is used to find the nucelear waste, which several countries simply dumped into the sea between the 1950s and 1980s as a seemingly cheap and easy solution for disposing of nuclear waste generated by industrial development and laboratories. It wasn't until 1993 that the disposal of nuclear waste in the ocean was finally banned. At least 200,000 barrels are believed to be in the Northeast Atlantic alone at depths of 3,000 to 5,000 meters. However, the exact location of the nuclear waste is unknown. Little is known about the condition of the barrels and whether they are located individually or in groups. The researchers are therefore currently working in the area where probably half of the waste ended up. The team wants to create a map of nuclear barrel finds and take numerous samples from water, the seabed, and animals. The drums were designed to withstand the pressure of the depths, but not to truly contain the radioactivity.

The chairman of the board of Grenaa Shipyard, Esben Møller, was deeply affected by the violent gas explosion on the dredger 'Grete Fighter', which injured three employees on April 23, 2020. The cause is still unknown. Shipyard chairman deeply affected by accide. "We have never experienced anything like it here, ”says Esben Møller. The accident happened shortly after lunch break when the employees were on their way back to the ship, which was in the shipyard in connection with a 5 year revision. On the way to the ship's tank system there was a huge explosion. Two men have reached the bottom of the ship, while the one closest to the exit was being helped out. Police and fire departments were alerted at 9.35 a.m., and shipyard and ship crews quickly reached the two at the bottom of the ship, which were most severely affected by the explosion, but were unable to rescue them. But they stayed with them until the fire department and the ambulance arrived. According to police, the three severely injured people who were flown to Rigshospitalet are a 31-year-old man from Norddjurs, a 53-year-old man from Syddjurs and a 50-year-old man from West Funen. "I don't know about their situation anymore, other than it's very serious," Esben Møller said. The accident is now being investigated by the police and the Labor Inspectorate. The 'Grete Fighter', which is owned by Peter Madsen Rederi, was in the yard for a five-year inspection. According to Grenaa Shipyard, on the ship various steel works were to be carried out, measurements of screw shaft and rudder, full service of auxiliary and main engine, dismantling of bottom and bilge valves and a full coating of bottom and bulwark. In addition, the old excavator had to be dismantled in favour of a new one.

One crew member of the USS 'Theodore Roosevelt' which was being anchored off Guam has died of a corona virus infection on April 14, 2020. The woman had been in intensive care but died of health complications. More than 550 crew members of the 5.000 crew members were tested positive. The ship has been largely evacuated during the recent days. Commander Brett Crozier had been fired as he wrote a letter expressing his concern about the crew situation and asked for help by the Navy.

On June 26, 2025, the 'Loch Striven', serving on the route Oban-Lismore, suffered a technical issue with the main engine. As a consequence, the scheduled sailing from Oban to Lismore at 2 p.m. was delayed. After the technical issue has been resolved, the ferry resumed its service at 2.30 p.m.

Beached at Chittagong 26.06.25

More than 1,000 sailors aboard the aircraft carrier 'Charles de Gaulle' have tested positive for COVID-19, a number that could continue to surge as the crew awaits approximately 930 more test results. The outbreak onboard the French navy’s flagship forced leadership to call off the remaining two weeks of the carrier’s scheduled deployment to the North Atlantic. The ship, which carries a crew of nearly 1,800, pulled into port last week at Toulon Naval Base in southern France. In all, 1,081 crew members from the Charles de Gaulle naval group have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. That total comes almost entirely from the carrier, and includes at least two U.S. sailors who were assigned to the ship as part of the U.S. Navy’s Personnel Exchange Program. The American sailors have since been removed from the ship and were receiving excellent host nation medical care at French facilities. The declining health of one French sailor, meanwhile, necessitated a transfer to the intensive care unit. Partially complicating the early detection process onboard the 'Charles de Gaulle' was the rate of asymptomatic carriers. Of the confirmed cases, nearly half showed no symptoms. Additionally, masks were not made available until late in the ship’s deployment. T The debilitating spread of the virus onboard France’s lone carrier, has sparked concern about the nation’s ability to remain ready to fight. Unlike the U.S. Navy, which touts 10 other active carriers in addition to the coronavirus-stricken USS 'Theodore Roosevelt', losing the 'Charles de Gaulle' for an extended period could cripple France’s nuclear deterrence capabilities.

On March 31, 2020, around 9 a.m. a fire broke out aboard the new built Panama flagged cruise ship 'Mardi Gras', 183200 gt (9837444), which is currently built at the Meyer yard in Turku. The fire occurred in a cabin on the upper deck, and fire crews managed to limit the fire to one cabin. In total, 18 fire brigade units were sent from the rescue service to the shipyard, but the fire could quickly be extinguished by the shipyard's own fire department. However, the ship must be checked to make sure there were no remaining hot spots. All workers were evacuated from the ship, but no one was injured in the fire. The cause of the fire was still unclear.

The "Elyros" was expected to depart from the port of Piraeus with a delay, bound for Chania, Oon June 26, 2025. The delay was caised by a minor technical failure. As a result the ferry had to undergo a prescribed technical inspection. Once the inspection procedures were completed and the ship was deemed completely safe to sail, it departed for the port of Souda short past midnight.

On the morning of June 26, 2025, the 'Catania' (IMO: 9261554), en route from Patras with 34 crew members, 11 passengers, 15 vehicles and 377 trailers on board, allided with the 'Kydon Palace'', which was berthed at pier 8 and scheduled to sail to Brindisi with 95 crew members, 172 passengers, 67 vehicles and 80 trailers on board, n the port of Igoumenitsa. She bumped into the starboard side with its bow during the mooring manoever. The causes of the allision remained unclear so far, while no injuries have been reported among the passengers or crew members. Both ships as well as port facilities were damaged. The port authorities immediately rushed to the scene and have initiated the necessary actions to clarify the circumstances of the incident. At the same time, a technical inspection was being carried out on both ships with the safety of passengers, crew and port facilities as the main focus. The Port Authority prohibited the ships from sailing until the damage was repaired and the relevant class maintenance certificates were presented by the monitoring classification societies. The affected passengers were transported to their destination under the company’s care. The Central Port Authority of Igoumenitsa, which was conducting the preliminary investigation, arrested the 45-year-old Captain of the 'Catania' for violation of article 273 par. 2 of the Criminal Code "Commonly dangerous damage due to negligence", article 291 par. 3 of the Criminal Code "Dangerous interventions in traffic", as well as article 225 of the Criminal Code "Violation of regulations to avoid collisions". Report with video: https://www.chaniaships.com/post/%CE%BD%CE%B1%CF%85%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C-%CF%80%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C-%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF-%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%AC%CE%BD%CE%B9-%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82-%CE%B7%CE%B3%CE%BF%CF%85%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%AF%CF%84%CF%83%CE%B1%CF%82-%CF%83%CE%B5-%CE%B5%CE%BE%CE%AD%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BE%CE%B7-%CE%BF%CE%B9-%CE%AD%CF%81%CE%B5%CF%85%CE%BD%CE%B5%CF%82-%CF%84%CF%89%CE%BD-%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8E%CE%BD-%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CF%8E%CE%BD?fbclid=IwY2xjawLKE4lleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHmMd5wR8s4OGgboNzF_cpu_a9WNs2j71Qx-iEpsQVmaAgx5QhOsgQRucRgik_aem_vV1WHFc78X9bSXRaXyH5MQ

The US Coast Guard medevaced a crewmember from a 600-foot tanker at anchorage approximately 15 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas, on April 19, 2020. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a report of a 58-year-old man reportedly experiencing symptoms of an upper respiratory illness. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon as well as local CDC and county health partners who recommended the medevac. Watchstanders launched a Coast Guard Station Galveston 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew. The RB-M boat crew transferred the patient to awaiting emergency medical services personnel at Station Galveston who transported him to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

On March 31, 2020, around 9 a.m. a fire broke out aboard the new built Panama flagged cruise ship 'Mardi Gras', 183200 gt (9837444), which is currently built at the Åbovarvet Meyer Turku. The fire occurred in a cabin on the upper deck, and fire crews managed to limit the fire to one cabin. In total, 18 fire brigade units were sent from the rescue service to the shipyard, but the fire could quickly be extinguished by the shipyard's own fire department. However, the ship must be checked to make sure there were no remaining hot spots. All workers were evacuated from the ship, but no one was injured in the fire. The cause of the fire was still unclear.